Attachment for fluid dispenser

ABSTRACT

An attachment for a fluid dispenser having an adapter which fits into an opening in the end of a sleevelike portion of a flexible film container and through which a fluid is dispensed into the flexible film container. The adapter comprises an expansion sleeve made of resilient material which, upon being compressed from end to end, expands circumferentially to produce a fluidtight seal between the expansion sleeve, the sleevelike portion of the flexible film container, and an inwardly flanged collar on the attachment. The expansion of the sleeve is accomplished by the forward movement of the collar induced by the pivoting of a handle pivotably attached to the body of the attachment.

2 United States Patent [72] Inventors Robert L. Flentge PlIl1Vi11Q,A18-4 Gerald L. Schulz, Holliston, Mass.

[21] Appl. No. 2,772

[22] Filed Jan. 14.1970

[45] Patented Aug. 31, 1971 v [73] Assignee The United States of Americaas 'repraentedbytheSecretaryottheArmy [54] ATTACHMENT FOR FLUIDDISPENSER 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

52] us. (I 141/313, 222/566 [51] IILCL .L B651) 1/18 [50] Field Search..l4l/3l-3'317,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 798,019 3/1905 Denel141/314X 1,725,345 8/ 1929 Donnellan 141/314 X 1,747,312 2/1930Middelboe 141/314 X 1,753,852 4/1930 Donnellan... 141/314 UX 2,545,8203/1951 Lehr..... 222/566 X 3,368,302 2/1968 Martino 222/566 X PrimaryExaminer-Samuel F. Coleman Assistant ExaminerNorman L. Stack, Jr.

Attorneys-Harry M. Saragovitz, Edward J. Kel1y, Herbert Berl and CharlesF. Murphy ABSTRACT: An attachment for a fluid dispenser havin an thecollar induced by the pivoting of ahandle pivotably attached to the bodyof the attachment.

ATTACHMENT roa FLUID DISPENSER i i The invention described herein may bemanufactured, used, and licensed by or for the Government forgovernmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to an attachment for a fluid dispenser which ismaintained in a fluidtight connection with a sleevelike portion of aflexible film container during the dispensing of fluid into thecontainer from the fluid dispenser.

Dehydrated foods have become important elements of the diets ofpersonnel-who may be confined in space vehicles for protracted periodsof time where it is important to reduce the weight of the food as muchas possible as well as to preserve it. A fluid dispenser, known as theApollo Water Dispenser, has been developed for the purpose of meteringand-dispensing water, which is obtained as a byproduct of fuel cellreaction,

the threaded portion of bore 11 and locked by setscrew 16.

' Adapter may be formedintegrally with tube 13 by being into flexiblefilm packages of dehydrated food products and for dispensing waterdirectly into the mouth for drinking purposes while an astronaut iswearing a space suit. However, heretofore it has been customary to haveone-way valves in the flexible film packages containing dehydrated foodsin order to preventthe escape of droplets of water from the packages andto insert the nozzle of the Apollo Water Dispenser into the packagethrough the one-way valve. Such one-way valves add a significant amountof weight when each machined as one piece therewith or being threadedlymounted thereon or welded thereto. Tube 13 and adapter 15 are providedwith a continuous internal bore 17 therethrough which is coaxial withbore 11 in body member 10 and is adapted to snugly receive a portion ofthe barrel 40 of fluid dispenser 41 therein. An O-ring 18 of resilientmaterial, such as rubber, is.

which fits loosely about expansion sleeve 20 and has an inwardlyvflanged portion 22 at the end thereof nearest the body member 10 whichdefines a centrally located opening 23 through which tube '13 extends toconnect with the body member 10. The collar is open at its other end soas to receive package is provided with a valve. They are difficult toaffix to the flexible packages and at best produce packages of irregulat-shape. This causes difficulties in stowing the food when storagespace is at a premium. Further, the one-way valves are expensive,particularly for one-time use in. each flexible package, and havesometimes caused malfunctions in theuse of the packages. This isunfortunate since such foods are taken on space flights in minimumquantities to fulfill the needs of the astronauts during: theircarefully planned and tightly scheduled space expeditions; Furthermore,the specially prepared space foods are relatively expensive'and thewasting of any such foods is very undesirable.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an attachmentfor use in combination with a fluid dispenser for dispensing a fluidinto a flexible film container under fluidtight conditions so that noneof the fluid will be permitted to escape into the interior of a spacevehicle in which the container is used.

Another object is to provide an attachment for a fluid dispenser whichobviates the incorporation of a one-way valve in a flexible filmcontainer into which fluid is required to be dispensed from the fluiddispenser.

Other objects and advantages willbe apparent from the followingdescription of the invention, and thenovel features will be particularlypointed out in connection with the .appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view in elevation'of the attachment connected to aflexible film package and ready for insertion of the barrel of a fluiddispenser thereinto for the purpose of dispensing fluid into thepackage; r

FIG. 2'is an enlarged view in vertical section through the central axisof the adapter. thecollar, the expansion sleeve, the body and thehandleof the attachment shown cooperating with the barrel of the fluiddispenser; and

FIG. 3 is-an exploded view of the attachment, including the barrelportion of the fluid dispenser.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the attachment includesa body member 10 having a bore 11 passing longitudinally therethroughand adapted toreceive the barrel 40 of a fluid dispenser 41, shown inpart in FIGS.'2 and 3. Internal threads 12 are provided in the end ofbore 11 opposite the end into which the barrel of fluid dispenser 41 isinserted. A cylindrically shaped tube 13 having external threads 14 onone end thereof and a frustoconically shaped adapter 15 on the other endthereof is mounted in bore 11 of the body member 10 by engagement of thethreaded end thereof with a sleevelike portion 50 of a flexible filmcontainer 51 between its inner wall and the outer surface of theexpansion sleeve. The open end of the collar 21 has a concavely bevelledportion 24 to facilitate introduction of the sleevelike portion of thecontainer inside of" the collar. The collar 21 alsois provided with anopen-ended slot 25 formed in its sidewalls ex-' thereon by means'ofbolts 27 passing through the handle and threadedly fastened to each sideof the body member at internally threaded holes 28. The handle has aneccentric portion 29 at the end thereof nearest to the pivot axis formedby bolts 27 so.that when the other end of the handle is pulled back inthe direction of the fluid dispenser, the eccentric portion of thehandle bears against the outer surface 30 of the inwardly flangedportion of the collar 21 causing movement of the col- Iar' along tube 13toward adapter 15. This movement of the collar compresses the expansionsleeve 20 from end to end between the inwardly flanged portion of thecollar 21 and the, rearsurface of the adapter 15 causing circumferentialexpansion of expansion sleeve 20. Body member 10 has stop means 31 oneach side thereof to limit the movement of handle 26 in its backwardmotion toward the fluid dispenser so that it will not pivot past theposition causing the maximum movement forward of the collar effected bythe eccentric portion 29 of the handle. I,

In using the attachment for a fluid dispenser, the attachment may befirst connected to the sleevelike portion 50 of a flexible filmcontainer and thereafter connected to the fluid dispenser; or it may befirst connected to the fluid dispenser 41 by inserting barrel 40 intothe attachment until the open end 42 of the barrel passes through andforms a fluidtight connection with O-ring 18 and preferably until theopen end 42 reaches the open end of the frustoconically shaped adapter15. In the latter case, the attachment is then connected to thesleevelike portion 50 of the flexible film container. This con-, nectionis made in either of the above cases by flaring the sleevelike portion50, inserting the adapter therein, permitting the heat-sealed finportion 52 of the flexible film container to enter open-ended slot 25 incollar 21. This is done with the handle in the position 26', as shown inbroken lines in FIG. 1. When the handle is in this position, the frontand rear edges of the collar are in the positions shown in broken linesand designated by numerals 21' and 30' respectively in FIG. 1.

. When the collar is in this position, it may be rotated to align openended slot 25 with the heat-sealed fin of the container and thethin-walled sleevelike portion of the container can he slid into theannular space or opening between the expansions sleeve 20 and the innersurface of the collar 21 until it is stopped by the inwardly flangedportion of the collar. The collar'is then rotated about its axissufficiently to cause the fin portion 52 to be drawn through theopen-ended slot and folded so as to lie'flat against expansion sleeve20. This reduces strain on the heat-sealed fin portion and minimizes thechances of leakage at the fin portion. The handle 26 is then pulled backtoward the fluid dispenser as far as possible to the position shown insolid lines and designated by numeral 26 in FIG. .1, forcing the collarforward to the position shown in solid lines and designated by numerals21 and 30 in FIG. 1. This forward movement of the collar compresses theexpansion sleeve between the rear surface of the adapter 15 and theinner surface of the-inwardly flanged portion 22 of the collar. Thiscompression from end to end causes the expansion sleeve 20 to expandcircumferentially, thus creating a fluidtight seal between the expansionsleeve, and film of the sleevelike portion of the flexible filmcontainer, and the inner surface of the collar.

The fluid dispenser is then activated by means of a trigger, notshown,to discharge a predetermined quantity of fluid, usually water, into theflexible film container under fluidtight conditions so that none of thefluid will be spilled or be able to leak out of the flexible filmcontainer in the form of droplets or otherwise. When the fluid has beenadequately absorbed by dehydrated food or other material inside of thecontainer the handle of the attachment may be moved forward again toposition 26', releasing the sleevelike portion of the container so thatit may be withdrawn from the annular space between the expansion sleeveand the inner surface of the collar. The attachment is then ready forconnection to another flexible film container in fluidtight relation andfor the dispensing of fluid thereinto.

It will be-apparent from the foregoing description of the invention thatthe attachment of the invention is particularly useful in connectionwith space flight where weightlessness is encountered and theintroduction of water into flexible film packages of dehydrated foods isnecessary in order to prepare such foods for eating. It is mostimportant to avoid releasing droplets of water into the interior of aspace vehicle since the droplets would float about therein andeventually might lodge in some critical portions of the equipment orcontrols therefor. The attachment produces a fluidtight connectionbetween the fluid dispenser, which meters and dispenses the water inpredetermined quantities needed for rehydrating the food, and theflexible film container, in which the dehydrated food is packaged andkept until it has been rehydrated and is ready to be eaten.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials andarrangements of parts which have been herein described'and illustratedin order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by thoseskilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention.

. We claim:

1. An attachment for a fluid dispenser of the type having a barrelhaving a central bore therein through which fluid is dispensed, saidattachment comprising a body member having a bore passing longitudinallytherethrough, said longitudinal bore in said body member being adaptedto receive said barrel of said fluid dispenser in snugly fittingrelation, a frustoconically shaped adapted having a bore coaxial withthe central axis thereof, said adapter being sized to fit into anopening in the end of a sleevelike portion of a flexible film container,said adapter being connected to said body member by a cylindricallyshaped tube coaxial with said adapter and threadedly attached to saidbody member coaxially with said longitudinal bore therein, said tubehaving an internal diameter to snugly receive at least a portion of saidbarreltherein, a cylindrically shaped expansion sleeve of resilientmaterial fitting snugly about said cylindrically shaped tube betweensaid adapted and said body member, a cylindrical] shaped collar fittingloosely about said expansion sleeve an having an inwardly flangedportion at one end thereof defining a centrally located opening throughwhich said tube extends to said body member, said cylindrically shapedcollar being open at its other end to receive said sleevelike portion ofsaid flexible film container between the inner wall thereof and theouterwall ofv said 'ex-;

pansion sleeve, said expansion sleeve being heldbetween the internalsurface of the inwardly flanged portion of said cylindrically shapedcollar and the rear surface of said adapter, and

mean for forcing said collar to move along said tube away from said bodymember, whereby said expansion sleeve is compressed from end to endbetween said inwardly flanged portion of said collar and the rearsurface of said adapter and thereby expanded circumferentially to form apositive seal between said sleeve, said sleevelike portion of saidflexible film container, and said collar.

2. Attachment according to claim 1, wherein said means for forcing saidcylindrically shaped collar to move along said' tube away from said bodymember comprises a handle pivotally mounted on said body member, saidhandle having a first end thereof which bears against the outer surfaceof the flanged portion of said collar and which forces said collar tomove toward said adapter when the other end of said handle is movedtoward said fluid dispenser causing said handle to pivot.

3. Attachment according to claim 2, wherein said first end of saidhandle comprises an eccentric portion which bears against the outersurface of the flanged portion of said collar when said handle ispivoted.

4. Attachment according to claim 3, wherein said body member is providedwith stop means for preventing said handle from pivoting beyond apredetermined amount.

5. Attachment according to claim 2, wherein said cylindrically shapedcollar has an open-ended slot formed in the sidewalls thereof extendingfrom the open end of said collar parallel to the axis thereof, said slotbeing adapted to receive a heat-sealed fin portion of said sleevelikeportion of said flexible film container.

1. An attachment for a fluid dispenser of the type having a barrelhaving a central bore therein through which fluid is dispensed, saidattachment comprising a body member having a bore passing longitudinallytherethrough, said longitudinal bore in said body member being adaptedto receive said barrel of said fluid dispenser in snugly fittingrelation, a frustoconically shaped adapted having a bore coaxial withthe central axis thereof, said adapter being sized to fit into anopening in the end of a sleevelike portion of a flexible film container,said adapter being connected to said body member by a cylindricallyshaped tube coaxial with said adapter and threadedly attached to saidbody member coaxially with said longitudinal bore therein, said tubehaving an internal diameter to snugly receive at least a portion of saidbarrel therein, a cylindrically shaped expansion sleeve of resilientmaterial fitting snugly about said cylindrically shaped tube betweensaid adapted and said body member, a cylindrically shaped collar fittingloosely about said expansion sleeve and having an inwardly flangedportion at one end thereof defining a centrally located opening throughwhich said tube extends to said body member, said cylindrically shapedcollar being open at its other end to receive said sleevelike portion ofsaid flexible film container between the inner wall thereof and theouter wall of said expansion sleeve, said expansion sleeve being heldbetween the internal surface of the inwardly flanged portion of saidcylindrically shaped collar and the rear surface of said adapter, andmean for forcing said collar to move along said tube away from said bodymember, whereby said expansion sleeve is compressed from end to endbetween said inwardly flanged portion of said collar and the rearsurface of said adapter and thereby expanded circumferentially to form apositive seal between said sleeve, said sleevelike portion of saidflexible film container, and said collar.
 2. Attachment according toclaim 1, wherein said means for forcing said cylindrically shaped collarto move along said tube away from said body member comprises a handlepivotally mounted on said body member, said handle having a first endthereof which bears against the outer surface of the flanged portion ofsaid collar and which forces said collar to move toward said adapterwhen the other end of said handle is moved toward said fluid dispensercausing said handle to pivot.
 3. Attachment according to claim 2,wherein said first end of said handle comprises an eccentric portionwhich bears against the outer surface of the flanged portion of saidcollar when said handle is pivoted.
 4. Attachment according to claim 3,wherein said body member is provided with stop means for preventing saidhandle from pivoting beyond a predetermined amount.
 5. Attachmentaccording to claim 2, wherein said cylindrically shaped collar has anopen-ended slot formed in the sidewalls thereof extending from the openend of said collar paraLlel to the axis thereof, said slot being adaptedto receive a heat-sealed fin portion of said sleevelike portion of saidflexible film container.